


Something in the Water

by NightwingEarth16



Category: Red Hood - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 05:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19739191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightwingEarth16/pseuds/NightwingEarth16
Summary: Jason Todd is finished with patrol one night and can’t help but think that his girlfriend is taking to long in the bathroom.





	Something in the Water

“Em, I’m back!” 

The bathroom door is closed, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where she is. But it’s odd that she didn’t return the call. I figure she is in the shower, as the sound of water runs behind the door. 

My boots are kicked into the closet, helmet set on my work table, along with my belt and jacket over the chair. 

I remove layer by layer of my armor, then change into sweats and a clean t-shirt. It wasn’t busy tonight, so I’m not as sweaty as usual. Instead, I find myself in the kitchen, drinking water, and flipping through my phone. 

Roy’s texted me. 

Roy H: Jay, Kori and I wanted to let you know that we’re planning on going to Cali for a few days. If anything happens to my work station, I blame you. Hope you and Em are well. 

I smile. They live on a secluded island and Roy will blame me if sand gets in one of his inventions. I’m happy for him though, really. Kori is good for him, and he’s stopped drinking so much since they’ve gotten together. An occasional beer when they come to town. 

I wait in the kitchen, fixing a gourmet dinner of peanut butter and jelly, and fixing my helmet. 

It’s half past twelve when I look up, and notice two things. One, the water has long stopped running, and two, Emily still hasn’t come out. 

“Em?” 

I knock on the door, then listen. 

No sound. 

“Emily? Please say something.” 

Nothing. 

I try the handle, and find out it’s locked.

”Emily,” I know my voice sounds frantic, “Babe, you’re worrying me.” 

I stop jiggling the handle and listen again. 

Sobs. 

“Emily, what’s wrong?” 

Sobs. 

“I really don’t want to have to kick the door down.” 

We’ve been dating for over a year now, and she’s never, not once, done anything like this, even when we were both training together with Bruce. When I was Robin. When I became the Red Hood, she’s never done this to anyone. 

“Emily, I’m sorry.” 

I break the door, and rush inside. 

There she is, curled up in a ball in the tub, water full to the brim, and she’s covered in blood. She’s still in her uniform, and it’s as blood-stained as the rest of her.

“Emily?” 

I drop to my knees at the side of the tub. Twin trails cut through the blood on her cheeks. Tears. More are falling down. Her uniform is still on. 

“I didn’t....he made me...I didn’t want to...”

She breaks off, crying more. 

I don’t say anything. I can’t say anything. Words are stuck in my throat. 

“Pyg.....he said if I didn’t....then he would...I had to-“

”Em,” I say, finally opening my mouth, “breathe.” 

She shivers, and her shoulders move rapidly. Hyperventilating. 

“Emily, you must try to stay calm.” 

“I can’t. You’ll hate me.” 

“That’s not possible.” 

“I hate myself.” 

Those words cut me like a blade. Without thinking, I reach into the tub, into the blood, and pull the drain. As the blood vanishes, I switch the shower on, letting the hot water fall onto her head. Still not thinking, I remove my shirt, and climb into the tub with her. I use my shirt to wipe her face. 

“Jason....”

She looks at me, her emerald eyes puffy and wet, then she’s hugging me. I drop my shirt and hold her back, the water running down both of our heads. My hand moved up and down her back slowly, getting the blood out of the fabric. Fingers touch the zipper. 

“Please...help me.” 

Emily pulls away, and begins to untie her boots. I’m silent as I help her, slowing removing each piece of her uniform until she’s only in her underclothes. I remove my sweats, leaving me in my boxers. The water beneath us is running red. 

“Pyg,” Emily sobs, working her gloves under the stream of water to wash away the blood, “I found him. He seemed alone, so I went in. He held a boy in his arms, said that if I didn’t...if I didn’t kill his dolls, that the boy....and several other locations would suffer at his dolls. I tried to call, but the signal, I couldn’t reach anyone. The boy was crying, and I....I didn’t want to....but when five dolls were down, he told me to....wash myself in their blood.” 

She breaks off with a fresh round of tears, shaking hard under the hot water.

”What happened after that?”

”He said...I was now beautiful, and he took the boy. I followed outside, but I couldn’t....I couldn’t follow them. I called Bruce and Damian, and they said....they said that they would find him.” 

She curls up into a tight ball again, hands gripping her hair. 

I want to run, go out back into the streets and empty every bullet I have into Pyg. But I don’t. Emily is more important. 

My hands find her hands, and gently, I remove them from her hair. 

“Let’s...get you cleaned off.”

I toss the clothes onto the floor, including my own, then reach for the shampoo.

“Can I?” 

She slowly turns around, knees up to her chin and arms wrapped tightly around her legs. 

I direct the spray into her hair, then slowly begin to clean her hair. The foam turns pink. My fingers are usually never this carful, working from strand to strand, making sure every trace of blood is out of her hair. Then I wash her hair a second time before tying it up.

A sponge and the bar of soap for her back, but before I can start, she moves, unhooking her bra and putting it with the rest of the discarded clothing. I don’t faze from her action, gently rubbing circles on her skin, starting at the top of her neck, and slowly working my way down. I get her shoulders and her arms to. 

Emily turns around again, and I’m still unfazed by her begging naked from the waist up. However, I do avoid her chest, cleaning from top to bottom again. Ears, face, neck, shoulders, arms, each finger. 

She slowly relaxes her legs, my still keeps them to her chest. 

“Want me to leave?” 

“No. Just....don’t look.” 

I close my eyes for her. I can hear the sponge moving across her skin, and the sound of more fabric hitting the sopping pile outside of the tub. I wait, feeling the water, and the soap beneath me. 

Not knowing how much time passes, before her voice calls to me again. 

“It’s okay.” 

When I open my eyes, she’s out of the tub, standing with a towel around her. I stand as well, letting the water run down my legs and down the drain. Silently, I collect the clothing and toss it into the washer. 

Another towel goes on the floor, where the clothes were, and a third goes to me. It’s only when I walk back into the bathroom that I notice she’s dripping. Emily hasn’t tried to dry herself. 

“Em, come with me. Please.” 

She follows me into our room, silent and leaving a water trail behind her. I sit her down gently and help her dry off, not staring at her while doing so. I give her clean underwear and one of my shirts. She puts them on, and I towel dry her hair, brushing it out. I don’t think I’ve ever been this...motherly. 

Emiky turns around once more as I finish changing. She looks as she should, straight black hair that reaches her mid-back, emerald eyes, pale skin. 

We crawl into bed, her curling up next to me. 

“I love you, Jason.” 

Emily’s fallen asleep before I could respond. 

“I love you, Emily. Always.” 


End file.
